The answer to this question is not an easy one. It depends on several factors like the size and shape of the earring hole. More factors include; whether or not you have had surgery that affects your ears, and how long you wore heavy earrings before taking them out. In this blog, we will explore the factors that determine how long it takes for an earring hole to close.
What Is An Earring Hole?
Earring holes are small round openings in the outer ear. They are also known as ear piercings. Ear piercing holes are usually made with a needle that punctures the skin, and then places an object through the hole to allow for jewelry to be worn in it.
Types of Piercings And Ear Holes
Many different piercings can be done to the ear. However, they differ concerning the thickness of their tissue and how deep they go. The position of the earring hole also brings the difference.
Lobe Piercing
These piercings are the most common, and they only go into the ear for a short distance. The lobe piercing is the only piercing that allows for heavy earrings to be worn.
Upper Lobe Piercing
The upper lobe piercing is different from the lobe piercings in that it penetrates deeper into the ear. It piercing is done slightly above the lobe, and it goes into the ear canal.
Conch Piercing
This is another form of a deep piercing that pierces the cartilage at the edge of your ear. It penetrates deeper than an upper lobe piercing does, but not as much as tragus or anti-tragus piercing does. The conch is also known as a shell earring, and it is very visible.
Tragus Piercing
This piercing penetrates the cartilage of your ear closer to its inner edge than an anti-tragus piercing does. It can be easily seen when looking at someone’s face, but not from the side. The tragus typically ends in front of your canal.
Anti-tragus Piercing
The piercing is made behind your tragus, and it goes through the cartilage of your ear. Anti-tragus is also difficult to see when someone looks at you front on. They can be seen from a side view though because they end beneath the curve of the anti-tragus which protrudes from the side of your ear.
Daith Piercing
Daith piercing goes through a section called Daith which lies right next to your innermost cartilage fold. It has been known for people who have had migraines to benefit from this piercing since it is very close to the inner ear.
Conch Piercing
This piercing goes into the ear, and enters through a thin part of it known as the concha. The hole then cuts across and creates an opening round where the lobe starts. While this kind of piercing can be visible, it can also be difficult to spot.
Helix Piercing
This one goes through the upper ear cartilage and not the lobe. It gives rise to its name by curving around where your ears join with your head. The helix piercings can be visible or hidden depending on how they are done. While this type of earring hole might be hidden, some people might find it difficult to conceal.
Rook Piercing
The rook piercing is done through the cartilage of your ear, but this is much lower than where helix piercings are. This type of piercing makes an “L” shape when it enters and exits the lobe area. It curves around so that one side can be hidden in another fold of your upper ear cartilage while the other side ends at the edge of your lobe.
Do Earring Holes Close Up?
The answer is yes! Earring holes do close up over time. Once the piercing is done, the body naturally forms scar tissue around the opening. Over time, this scar tissue tends to become smaller and smaller until it is barely noticeable. When this happens, the piercing hole is no longer visible.
How Long Does It Take For Earring Holes To Close?
The time taken for an earring hole varies from person to person. It can take anywhere between a few weeks and several months for an ear piercing hole to close. However, several factors come into play when determining how long it will take for an earring hole to close.
Factors That Affect How Long It Will Take For Earring Holes To Close
The Size Of The Earring Hole
A larger piercing takes more time to heal than a smaller piercing. The body needs more tissue and skin to work on building scar tissue. This means that large holes require much longer than small ones for them to become unnoticeable. Additionally, larger holes will leave a more noticeable scar than smaller ones.
The Shape Of The Earring Hole
Generally, round earring holes heal faster and take less time to close up compared to irregular shapes such as heart or star-shaped piercings. This is because there are fewer edges around these types of piercing that can snag on clothing or other objects.
The Type Of Earrings Used
Using heavy earrings will usually take longer for the piercing to heal. The reason is that heavier earrings pull on the piercing. This can cause discomfort or pain which in turn slows down how quickly it heals. However, lighter jewelry such as studs may also lead to increased healing time. This is because they do not provide enough pressure on the piercing to stimulate blood flow, which is necessary for it to heal.
Surgeries That Affect Ears
If you have had any surgeries done on your ears such as a lobotomy or ear reduction, then this will affect how long it takes for an earring hole to close up. These surgeries disturb the overall process of closing up ear-piercing holes.
Is There Anything You Can Do To Make The Process Faster?
Just like any injury in your body, ear-piercing holes also need to be given time to heal. However, there are some things you can do to make the process go faster:
- Avoid wearing heavy earrings if possible, during this period of healing. Heavy jewelry will slow down how quickly your piercing heals and may even lead to it getting worse or infected. This will allow a speedy recovery process.
- Maintain good hygiene and cleanliness. Sticking to a good hygiene routine will help your piercing heal faster. Make sure that you wash the area around it with warm water and mild soap at least twice daily, or after each time you shower. This helps remove dirt and other harmful elements from the area which can prolong healing time.
- Avoid irritating the skin around the piercing. When you are doing certain activities, such as exercising or sleeping, make sure that the hole is not tampered with. Also, avoid wearing tight-fitting clothes around the area of your piercing to prevent irritation and damage to the skin.
- Avoid piercing new areas while healing old ones. Wait until the current piercing has completely healed before getting a new one. When you are getting a piercing in another area of the ear, the hole created might interfere with how quickly your current piercing heals up.
- Get large holes stitched by a Cosmetic surgeon. If you have a larger earring hole, then it is best to get them stitched by a cosmetic surgeon. This will help the area heal and close up faster since stitches reduce scar tissue formation around the opening of your piercing holes. However, this should be done only if necessary. Stitching can lead to further complications such as infections or pain.
How To Tell If An Earring Hole Has Closed Up?
It can be quite difficult to tell if an earring hole has closed up. To do this, you will need a small mirror and a bright light source such as the sun or overhead lights inside your home.
First, hold the mirror against your earlobe gently; make sure that it is close enough for you to see what’s in the mirror. The next thing you want to do is place the earring inside your hole and then take a look at it in the mirror. If there are no gaps, then your piercing is closed.
However, if there are visible gaps around the edges of the opening, then this means that it has not closed up yet.
Conclusion
The bottom line is that earring holes take time to close up. However, how long it takes to close up varies from person to person. Nonetheless, how fast the hole closes up can be affected by other factors.
It will usually depend on the kind of jewelry you are using; how large your piercing hole is and any surgery done in the area beforehand. Also, be sure to maintain good hygiene around the area after each shower for a speedy recovery process!